


A Sharp-Toothed Plan Goes Awry

by ilyena_sylph, Merfilly



Series: Return of the Padawan [6]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Foiled Again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-08-09 03:22:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7784737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Best-laid plans often don't work, but sometimes the enemy's plan will do just nicely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sharp-Toothed Plan Goes Awry

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you one and all for your awesome support!

Plans, even ones laid out by Masters of the Council, could fail.

Anakin nor Obi-Wan had even made it to their transports before explosions began in various parts of Coruscant's powerful sectors, throwing the planet into full-fledged panic and chaos. When Anakin saw one of the plumes of smoke was distinctly in the vicinity of 500 Republica, his fatigue faded in a fury of fear, and Obi-Wan swiftly laid a hand on his arm.

"Think, Anakin! Feel for Ahsoka! If she has Padmé well in hand, we need to go after the likely cause of this instead!"

Anakin started to turn on his former master, but… he was right.

//Ahsoka?!//

//Busy … safe with her so far … don't come here!// The quick phrases and impressions were accompanied by images of vornskr hunting pairs roaming the damaged buildings, and magnaguards stalking along. 

"Vornskrs," Anakin said. "I think she's got Padmé in the ducting. And there are magnaguards, but she's certain she's safe for now."

"Vornskrs, hmm?" Obi-Wan's eyes twinkled as he thought of a plan.

"Obi-Wan? Ahsoka said not to come there," Anakin said. "And you said we should go after who started this and that has to be _him_."

"Oh, I disagree with Ahsoka this time, and we will go see the Chancellor… hopefully right about the time he's addressing the citizens about this act of terror," Obi-Wan said. "I just plan to lure those creatures right up to him."

Anakin considered that, and then he grinned, tight and fierce. "Let's get going, then, Master!"

+++++

The Senate was a scene of absolute disorder and anarchy as members of the august body trickled in, some bleeding, others in shock, and a good many of them shouting for explanations on how the clean-up of Grievous's strike against the Chancellor had left so many dangerous droids still among them!

"My friends, please!" The Chancellor stood tall in the center of the room, irritated that the power to the platforms was still down from one of the bombs. "If you would all just focus, so we can begin to sort through this brazen attack, made possible by the negligence of the Jedi --"

His words were cut off as the roar of two vorskrs was heard from one door on the floor level, and another, answering or challenging call, from much higher up in the Senate building. New pandemonium was breaking out afresh, as the pair on the lower level rushed through, intent on a much stronger trace of their prey than the pair they had followed here.

Up above, the second pair found itself without the initial prey it had been lured with, yet down below, new prey was waiting. New prey that was being hunted by rivals!

Palpatine realized he was not only in decided trouble, but the chances of escaping unrevealed were slim, as none of the guards were nearby, having gone to help with the terrorism, showing themselves as the benevolent protectors they were meant to be. That it was also to get them in line to attack the Jedi as soon as he pushed through the idea that the Jedi had allowed the attack to happen… well, plans sometimes had to be modified.

Screaming Senators were keeping him from being heard, and he used that panic to start slipping free, angling for one of the discrete exits used by interns and pages.

Vornskrs moved faster and leaped more agilely than he'd anticipated, as one of the ground pair moved to cut him off. His lightsaber was in his sleeve, but if he did that, his secret would be out. Could he dominate their minds?

The thud of another cat hitting the ground from on high preceded the second one following, and Palpatine saw the mate of the one he was already trying to evade angling to cut him off. Four vornskrs, brought here on his orders to flush out whatever ally had cut his Chosen One off from him, and now he was being hunted and surrounded by them.

+++++

When Obi-Wan Kenobi had commed to say he had a plan involving carnivorous, Force-hunting beasts, Mace Windu had jumped on the idea gladly. While he dispatched the rest of the Jedi available to pull security and relief efforts, he joined the pair at 500 Republica and assisted in luring the cats to the Senate.

The idea was as off the rails as it was brilliant, and the Jedi Master would be lying if he said he wasn't hoping the predators took care of matters before he had to intervene. It was not the Jedi way, but he could see the twists and turns of this Sith far more clearly than ever before. If he did not die, they would be fighting this war for years more.

He saw Skywalker and Kenobi spread out a little down on the floor level and that was the cue for him to get down there. The Chancellor was sweating, noticeably, as he tried to keep objects between him and the hunting predators. Senators were actually noticing how focused the four beasts were.

"I thought vorskrs hunted Force Users," rang out in a voice that Mace Windu thought sounded an awful lot like the Senator of Naboo, starting new murmurs as the panic subsided to morbid curiosity amidst requests for security to get there.

If Skywalker had handled matters, the only security on its way would be his own troops, keeping the Coruscant Guard and Commandos out of this for now.

Mace stalked forward, mindful of the beasts, mindful of the cornered Sith Lord, mindful of potential enemies in the crowd that might be fully aware of what they supported.

"Ahh, Master Jedi, you have come to save me from the mercies of these curious creatures!" Palpatine said in a smooth voice, even as he dodged to one side from a swipe of the one closest to him.

"Oh, I don't think so."

There was silence, another attack dodged as Palpatine was driven further into the small space that afforded him protection from claws and fangs, so far. The politician met the Jedi's eyes, learning that his secrets were already out. On the heels of that, he saw Anakin out of the corner of his eye.

"Skywalker, do your duty to me and put these creatures down!" he demanded. 

"I'm sorry, sir, but they are far too dangerous for a Force user to approach; I've called for my men to come capture them, though!" Anakin said, his voice too smug and carrying. "I've never heard of a vornskr hunting any sentient that wasn't Force active, actually. The Hutts use them for that very reason, Chancellor."

Senators that had heard those words from their Hero with No Fear started muttering more fiercely, and Palpatine saw the shape of his demise.

"Oh, Chancellor Palpatine, I seem to recall a law you signed, making it a criminal offense to hide Force ability in this dangerous time, when we need all the help we can get on the front lines," Obi-Wan Kenobi added. "Yet, I don't recall your name on any of those registration lists."

The Negotiator's words spread just as quickly, and a strong voice respected by many rang out.

"Chancellor Palpatine, were you aware that political figures were required to declare Force ability and submit to monitoring, even before the draconic privacy laws your contingency pushed through?" Bail Organa demanded. "Because of the chance of undue influence over their people and peers!"

"This is all a -- " Palpatine's words were drowned in a roar, and the fact all four vornskrs were lunging to try to get at him was all the warning the three Jedi needed. Palpatine used the Force to leap out of the small space he'd been cornered in, and the fight was on. One enraged, goaded Sith user, four carnivorous beasts looking for a Force-laden snack, and three experienced Jedi fighters were given the center of the Senate floor, with half of that body bearing witness.

+++++

Two vornskrs dead, one crippled to the point of being put down, and one somehow captured by some of Anakin's men added to the severe injuries taken by all three Jedi, and the death of four Senators who had either gotten used as victims by the Sith or merely succumbed to the shock of the situation was the final price paid for the death of one Sheev Palpatine.

Any other day, Mace Windu would have mourned the losses. For now, as Master Vokara Che tended him, he just felt a sickly calm acceptance, knowing it had stopped the loss of millions, if not billions, more.

"We can finish the war," he called to Kenobi, who nodded numbly. It was obvious that most of his attention was on watching as a medic fitted Anakin's arm with a device to help preserve the nerve endings until they could refit him with a new prosthetic. It was better than dealing with the fact that he'd had to be resuscitated from the agonizing Force Lightning that had stopped his heart and sent Anakin into the frenzy that had cost him his arm again.

"Organa issued an article of detainment for the Vice Chancellor and several Senators known to be close to the Chancellor," Kenobi said slowly. "Maybe one of them will know something that will help us with that."

"Perhaps," Mace agreed, before his eyes turned to where Skywalker was pushing to his feet to leave from where they had been moved within the Senate building to be treated. None of them had been in good enough shape to move when the fight had first ended, and it was pure Force-driven luck Vokara Che had been on her way to set up a healing center to help the victims of the terrorism.

"Going to check on the Senator and Ahsoka?" Obi-Wan asked casually, eyes flicking to Mace with a patented 'shut-up' look that surprised the elder man.

"Yes."

"If you don't mind, I'd prefer to join you," Obi-Wan said boldly, pushing at the Knight trying to tend him when he honestly just wanted to rest.

"Sirs, I recommend nothing strenuous," the 501st medic told them, speaking before Mace could. "I'll get the new arm fabricated quickly, General," he added.

"Thank you," Anakin said, trying to not think of the fact it wasn't Kix, that Kix was missing and had been ever since that debacle with Fives.

"Kenobi, Skywalker," Mace finally got in.

"Tomorrow, Master Windu," Obi-Wan said firmly.

"No, now." When both looked at him, Mace gave a small, tired smile. "Thank you, both. Now go on."

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a look, then hurried to get free while whatever drugs Che had hit Mace with were working.

+++++

Ahsoka had barely been able to keep from going to the fight, but Padmé was her responsibility. Anakin was going to be mad enough they had come to the Senate to begin with, after the initial attack. She knew Skyguy would absolutely flip out if she left the Senator alone, when the Coruscant Guard was brainwashed into being personally loyal to Palpatine, at least by all they could see, and the 501st was loathe to turn on their brothers. They would, but Ahsoka had stood by Padmé and just waited, on guard, for any reprisals.

Those hadn't happened until the Senate hastily decided to appoint a committee to go to the Jedi and learn the details behind the attack, swayed to such rationality by Bail's strong voice in conjunction with Padmé and Mon Mothma. Then, as Mace was being carted out with the Senators that had come to the meeting injured, a small force of Fox's men had tried to interfere.

Ahsoka had released all holds then, thankful that Skyguy and Obi-Wan had already left the building by a different entrance. She wasn't trying to kill anyone, but she knew clone weaknesses at a base, instinctive level from having fought with them for most of three years. She disabled weapons, took out knees, and shorted out their helmets with careful slices that left them reeling from feedback in the audio pieces.

The 501st that had joined her in that fight quickly had the fighters contained, and she could move on, getting Padmé home.

That was where they found their Jedi sprawled on the couch, obviously having just dropped there without really trying to clean up. Ahsoka wanted to tease them, but she dropped on the floor to double check the calf that a vornskr had raked before she'd gotten the Senator into the duct work. The bandages had held, but she was seeing blood from her energetic fight.

"You said you were alright!" Anakin accused, half sitting up from where he'd flopped on Obi-Wan's legs on the couch.

"It's just some scratches. Didn't slow me down at all," Ahsoka responded with an eye-roll.

"Ani, don't fuss," Padmé soothed. "You're hurt, and Obi-Wan still looks very pale. I'm fine, and the Republic owes you all for saving it from that monster."

"It was Obi-Wan's plan," Anakin told her, settling down on the couch after moving enough to let her join them. It was a crowded couch, but Anakin still frowned because Ahsoka was out of reach.

Ahsoka indulged him, moving close enough to let him put his hand on her where she sat on the floor.

"Now we just have to win the war, right?" Ahsoka asked, wishing she could be part of that.

Obi-Wan looked down at her, after getting his hand back into Anakin's hair, trying to calm that last of that desperate fear in his former padawan. "Hopefully that won't take much more time, with both Sith dead," he said, petting Anakin's hair as the younger man tensed.

Ahsoka nodded, and actually smiled at him. "I like you being like this. It's what Skyguy needs, and you do too."

Obi-Wan inclined his head a little. "I can see that now. I couldn't for too long."

"Well, we'll just have to keep building on it," Padmé said. "Maybe Jedi with families will become the new normal."

"It just might," Obi-Wan said after a long moment of turning over the concept in his mind. That she had just laid claim to him felt … right. They both loved Anakin, albeit in different ways. A family was something of choice as much as heart and blood after all.

They would make time to explore it fully, as the war gave them time to do so.


End file.
